


Are there some aces up your sleeve? Have you no idea that you're in deep?

by Flavortext



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Other, Secret Samol 2020, casalear voice: get out of my school (so i can kiss you), they talk about mechs and theres a pie, this is just very silly and soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:35:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29115360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flavortext/pseuds/Flavortext
Summary: “I owe you a great debt, Rooke.” They say earnestly.“A.O.’s fine, really. I’ll think of some way for you to pay me back.” A.O. doesn’t think he will, but it feels polite to say it.
Relationships: Cas'alear Rizah/Audacious Opportunity "A.O." Rooke
Kudos: 14





	Are there some aces up your sleeve? Have you no idea that you're in deep?

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes two characters with next to no canon interaction can be something so-   
> I tried to build off the “what do they do on their days off” prompt, focusing on the time jump after The Red Light, and that offhand comment Austin made about A.O. joining the Swordbreakers... this is shorter than I meant it to be but I hope it’s fun to read
> 
> For unruly_knight! I hope you like this!

A.O. Rooke stands in the courtyard, working at a knot between his shoulder and neck. His eyes drift closed, senses narrowing to listen to the distant whistling of the wind. He picks up instead on the click of metal against stone.

“Oh, I thought they’d be here.” A voice says, tinged with disappointment. A.O. opens his eyes and looks for the source, settling on the figure approaching from the main street. Their hair has the look of having it’s first proper wash in a long time, standing a bit frizzy and unkempt from the breeze that drifts through this place. A.O. tracks the light blue scales across their cheeks, the tattoos overlaying them, split now by scattered scars inlaid with murky glass. 

“Cas'alear, right?” He asks, fixing his posture to be a little more formal. Cas'alear raises an eyebrow.

“You look familiar, excuse my faulty memory, have we been introduced?” Cas asks, taking another few steps, cane clicking. 

“Only briefly. A.O. Rooke, uh,” A.O. falters, unsure what tagline to attach to his name. 

“You were caught up with well, you know,” Cas gestures back behind them, in the direction of the city center. A.O. makes a face. “When this all started, correct?” Cas'alear says with a tight expression. A.O. scowls and nods. “It’s good to see you’ve stuck it out.” Cas smiles lightly. It doesn’t quite reach their eyes but A.O. appreciates the effort. 

“I have. I’ve actually been uh- with your guys, lately. You’ve just missed ‘em.” A.O. gestures around the empty space, an area between some empty storefronts and a large pavilion, where they’ve been storing and working on their mechs. Cas’s eyes fall on the machines and widen a bit. 

“Oh, /you/ fly that beauty.” They say with a bit of wonder. A.O. puffs out his chest. 

“You know, it got passed down.” He smirks and cas chuckles.

“You pulled me out of quite the spot, I believe I’d be dead without your handy work.” They say frankly. A.O. squirms a bit.

“Just following crews orders, you know. You’re welcome, uh” A.O. doesn’t know what to say, but Cas'alear just smiles again warmer this time. 

“Show me how she works, it’s been too long since I’ve gotten my hands on a mech of such renown.” Cas gestures at the pavilion and A.O. nods and starts towards it with a jolt. He has to slow his pace a bit for Cas'alear, but they fall into step quickly enough. 

“How are you uh, feeling?” A.O. asks as they reach the covered area, grabbing some gloves from a little wheeling cart and heading over to the shutdown Panther. Cas'alear gives a sour chuckle.

“The Witch has a very adept medical system, physically I am as good as I can get.” They gesture a bit with the cane, eyeing a chair off to the side of A.O.’s mech and heading for it. “Otherwise, I loathe this place. Working with her again...” Cas trails off as they sit, hooking their cane over the back of their chair and stretching their legs out. A.O. looks around to remember what he’s been doing with the mech, finds the materials he had laid out to patch a nasty gash on one of the plates, and wheels that cart over while he replies. 

“It’s certainly not my favorite part of all this. SI- Sovereign Immunity pitched it real badly to everyone at first. I almost didn’t agree to get on board.” 

“Why did you?” Cas asks plainly. A.O. glances over his shoulder.

“People needed more hands. There was a family who needed help carrying their boxes onto the ship, and then I was already here so I figured I’d see what was up, your crew needed someone to patch this roof-“ A.O. gestures above them, “and Kalar was busy, but he let me borrow some tools and gave me a rundown of how to do it. And by then we’d taken off.” A.O. shrugs, turning to pry the top off a bucket of filler for the gash. 

“That’s very kind of you. You’ve risked a lot for this movement, from what I’ve heard.” 

“Easy to keep doing something you never had a choice in starting.” A.O. shrugs, filling up an applicator with the filling and setting to work. Cas hums behind him. 

“I remember Gucci telling you not to engage, you showed real guts saving my life.” A.O. feels himself blush. He shakes his head and focuses on filling the gash in front of him. 

“Broun was pretty instant. I can take Gucci yelling at me over coms. Certainly better than knowing we lost someone important who I could have saved.” Cas chuckles again and A.O. glances over. 

“I owe you a great debt, Rooke.” They say earnestly.

“A.O.’s fine, really. I’ll think of some way for you to pay me back.” A.O. doesn’t think he will, but it feels polite to say it.

“Tell me how this beauty works, firstly.” Cas scoots their chair forward a bit. A.O. nods and sets down his tool. 

“So if you look here, that’s the cockpit, right?” A.O. gestures at the central structure. Cas'alear nods. “Abd everything in this sort of matte black is fully attached- you can’t tell really in a fight which parts are different, but it’s got a different texture, here-“ A.O. gestures at cas to come over. Cas'alear smiles and gets their cane, coming to A.O.’s side and reaching over where he points to touch the cool metal.

“Okay,” Cas says, nodding.

“And then all of this stuff-“ A.O. taps the plate he’s been working on. “Is totally independent. When you’re inside there are levers for each bit, and I’ve programmed in a bunch of routines to activate different maneuvers. Otherwise, you have to control them each independently. Doesn’t really work when you’re also being shot at.” A.O. laughs and taps the metal again. 

“Still sounds like a lot to keep in your head.” Cas hums, running their hand along the side of the plate, leaning close to A.O. to do so. A.O. catches a whiff of salty air, suddenly feels himself on the deck of Icebreaker for a moment. He blinks and steadies himself on the plate, leaning away a bit. 

“Sorry,” Cas gives him a quizzical look.

“No, you’re good. Uh, it’s a lot. But I like to think I’ve gotten okay at it.” He smiles. Cas'alear nods appreciatively. 

“I’d certainly say so, from what I remember when I wasn’t busy,” they wave their hand, “being mauled to death, ha.” They grin as A.O. barks out a laugh. “I shouldn’t keep you if you want to finish this.” They gesture at the cart next to A.O.

“Uh, this will have to set, so.” A.O. picks back up the applicator and fills in the last corner of the gash, taking a tool and smoothing over the surface. He sets everything down and turns back to Cas'alear.

“I think your guys went to this bar across town, it’s a bit far but I could call for a car?” He offers. Cas'alear inclines their head.

“If you’d accompany me, I’m afraid I don’t really know my way around. Unless you’re busy.” Cas smiles a little awkwardly. 

“Not at all, really.” A.O. digs into his pocket and types out a quick message. He looks up to see Cas'alear glancing around with a sad expression.

“We couldn’t uh, recover much of your mech. Things went real south.” A.O. says apologetically. Cas'alear sighs.

“I figured as much, sadly.” They shrug and tap the Panther. “I’ll honestly appreciate the excuse for a break from the action” They smirk and A.O. nods, leading the way back towards the main road.

The car ride proceeds mostly in silence 

[talk about them getting to know each other a bit]

—

It’s two months nearly before Cas'alear gets to leave the hospital fully and moves into the complex the rest of the Swordbreakers have been assigned. A.O. does the sensible thing, in his opinion, and makes a pie.

“It’s open!” Cas’s voice carries from beyond the door at A.O.’s knock. He awkwardly balances the pie and tries the handle, swinging the door open.

Cas'alear hasn’t changed the apartment much from the pre-existing setup, A.O. notes quickly. The box he’d helped bring up is now open in a corner, contents not totally unpacked. A.O.’s eyes fall then on Cas'alear, lounging on the couch. They’re out of their usual garb, instead in a loose-fitting tank top and shorts, their legs propped up on the foot of the couch. Cas has an ice pack draped over one knee and is writing in a journal. They set it on their chest and sit up a bit, twisting to look at A.O. as he walks in.

“Oh, my,” Cas raises an eyebrow.

“I made uh- mom’s recipe. It’s got cherries and plums.” A.O. fumbles for a moment and then crossed the small room to the kitchen island, setting the pie down. “Uh, I don’t need to keep you, I’m sure you’re tired.” A.O. gets only a step towards the door before Cas'alear is sitting fully.

“Actually, I’m more starving than anything. One of the guys was gonna pick me up some food but he got waylaid.” Cas pushes themself to their feet, grabbing their cane off the edge of the couch. 

“Pie isn’t really dinner,” A.O. says with no actual protest. Cas'alear laughs. 

“Please, stay. I have plates, at least, I think,” they brush past A.O., far closer than they perhaps need to in the open floor planed space, and open a few cupboards before turning with two plates in hand. A.O. smiles, cursing himself a bit for how easy it feels. He helps Cas'alear rummage through their drawers until they emerge with silverware.

“I uh- I should say I haven’t really tried to cook that often,” A.O. says quickly, as cas cuts two slices out. Cas hums. 

“Well, I trust your mother’s wits,” Cas'alear taps the counter. 

“She might have just taken it from a book.” A.O. laughs a little. Cas'alear shakes their head and takes a bite, eyes falling closed. A.O. breathes in and out and then takes his own. It’s good enough, not like he remembers as a kid but not too far off. Cas'alear makes an appreciative noise, deep in their chest. 

“Man of many talents,” Cas says, waggling their fork at him. A.O. blushes and takes another bite as an excuse not to talk. The sunset from the window behind him is glinting off the glass visible all across Cas'alear’s collarbone and chest. 

“I just thought it’d be a nice way to make this place feel a bit like home.” He gestures around. Cas'alear shrugs.

“It’s certainly where we seem to be for now. Certainly, I’d rather be here with you than off fighting.” A.O. bites his lip as their eyes fixed on his. He forces himself to swallow. 

“It’s good to have you around,” he says, a little unsure. Cas'alear smiles, tapping the counter again.

“Still haven’t told me how to properly thank you, A.O..” Cas leans against the counter, taking a last bite of pie. A.O. rolls his eyes.

“As long as you don’t send me out there to get myself killed I’ll consider us even.” He quips. Cas'alear laughs, but their face takes a serious expression.

“I promise you I won’t. Millennium Break has cost me enough pain for a lifetime.”

“We’re not done yet.” A.O. sets down his plate.

“We’ve got a ways to go, you’re right.” Cas'alear takes A.O.’s dish. “I just don’t want to see you hurt.” They say it as they turn away, setting the plates in the sink. A.O. uses the clink to hide his intake of breath. 

“I will do my best,” he picks up the pie and carries it to the fridge. The door provides a brief shelter, and he tugs a hand through his hair before he closes it. Of course, Cas'alear is standing right there. 

“Hi,” A.O. laughs a little, lightly shutting the door. Cas’alear’s cheeks flush beyond the blue scattering of scales, tattoos wrinkling under their eyes as they give a soft smile back. 

“I want you to lead the Swordbreakers,” Cas says plainly. A.O. blinks. 

“What?” He asks, unable to keep the shock out of his voice. Cas’alear smiles. 

“I’m not handing them over to you, but I am going to step back. They will become an official arm of Millenium Break, they won’t answer specifically to me anymore.” 

“Why?” A.O. asks, studying their even expression. 

“Because for better or for worse I have skin in this game.” Cas touches the glass that glitters along their neck and chest, then drops their hand to the counter. “And if I’m still in charge, well,” Cas’alear looks away, chuckling. A.O. squints. 

“I don’t follow.” 

Cas’alear looks back up at him, then shakes their head. 

“You’ve been very kind to me these past few months, A.O.” Cas gently touches A.O.’s hand, still loosely holding the fridge door. A.O. can’t help but tense. Cas’alear sighs. 

“I’m just doin’ what anyone would,” A.O. says slowly. Cas’alear laughs. 

“You know  _ that’s _ not true, Rooke. Most people would have been happy to leave me for dead. The only reason I’m alive is- well.” Cas’alear shakes their head. “Doesn’t matter now, I’m here, and you’ve been a wonderful friend.” 

“Thanks, you’re... you’re a good person, Cas’alear. You-” A.O. pauses, “Millenium Break needs more people like you.” He looks at his frozen hand under Cas’alear’s. 

“I don’t know about that,” Cas chuckles, “maybe only if they each had an A.O. Rooke to keep them sane.” They smile, and A.O. finally meets Cas’alears eyes. 

“You’re trying to avoid a  _ conflict of interest?” _ A.O. says, perhaps a bit too suddenly. Cas splits into a grin. 

“Audacious Opportunity slow on the uptake, it seems.” Cas shakes their head, curling their fingers more around A.O.’s hand, pulling it away from the handle finally. A.O. tugs at his hair and groans. 

“You’re too goddamn vague- talking about ‘stepping back’-” A.O. laughs, taking a slight step towards cas. 

“I was trying to ease into it.” 

“You-” A.O. bites his lip. “Commander Rizah, I am honored to accept your promotion and wish you the best as you step into your new role.” He gives a quick salute. Cas’alear breaks into a full-bodied laugh, which A.O. cuts off expertly, ducking to kiss Cas’alear firmly on the lips. Cas, to their credit, recovers instantly, melting a big into A.O.’s arms and kissing him back. 

  
  



End file.
